Kristi Noem Faces Online Scrutiny Over New Hunting Dog Photo

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is facing renewed online criticism after posting a photograph of herself with her new hunting dog, Foster. The image, shared to mark the opening of pheasant hunting season, prompted a wave of social media commentary, with many users referencing Noem's controversial account of killing her former dog, Cricket.

Noem shared the photo on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, stating, "Pheasant hunting is part of who we are, and it’s a tradition worth passing on to our kids and grandkids." The post quickly attracted attention, with users expressing concern and drawing comparisons to the incident detailed in her memoir, "No Going Back."

In the book, Noem described taking Cricket, a 14-month-old dog, on a pheasant hunt where the animal allegedly killed chickens and attempted to bite her. Noem wrote that she subsequently took the dog to a gravel pit and shot her, describing Cricket as "untrainable" and dangerous. This revelation, made public in early 2024, led to widespread public backlash and drew national media attention.

Online reactions to the new photograph included comments such as, "This poor dog is staring at the camera like he’s on death row," posted by Tommy Vietor, a former Obama administration official, on X. Other users directly implored Noem, "Please don’t kill him."

The controversy surrounding Cricket occurred as Noem was being considered as a potential running mate for then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump. At the time, Noem defended her decision, stating it was a difficult but necessary choice for life on a farm and that she was being transparent about her experiences.

Noem previously served as the Secretary of Homeland Security before leaving the position earlier this year.